Best Foods Before/After Workout

I have a good breakfast a couple of hours before my strength training workouts... and that seems to give me enough energy for my workouts. After my workout, a mix a small scoop of whey protein with milk. Protein is great for recovery and whey is fast digesting.

I go to the gym 3 days a week to do the treadmill and weights, usually after breakfast. Lately my breakfast has consisted of 1 whole banana, a cup of kashi golean cereal, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, and 1 greek yogurt. I take a protein bar with me to gym just in case my sugar drops (I'm diabetic), and I have a high protein lunch when I get home.
Chocolate milk is a great recovery drink, btw! Over The Moon is my favorite brand for it.

hi so what does the choc milk do for you should i get some?

Hey there,

Studies have shown that a post-working protein/carb mix is effective in replenishing muscle cells following workouts. That being said, it's only been proven effective if injested within 30 minutes of the exercice session. I.e....If it takes you an hour to shower, change, drive home and make yourself something...it's too late.

I personally use a protein mix which mixes well with water and have it with me in the workouts and slam down the 500ml drink in the short walk between the workout room and the change room. There are multiple varieties out there and it's a matter of personal preference for the most part.

Pre-workout depends on when you're doing your exercises. IN that sense the old adage of "wait an hour before going swimming" isn't just an old wives tale.

During exercise, your blood flow is maximized towards the extremeties to dissipate heat (through sweat) and byproducts (CO2 exchange at the cellular level). During idgesttion however,there is an increased demand for bloodflow to direct the nutrients from the stomach. Thus it follows, if you attempt heavy exercise on a full stomach...you're likely to have some problems.

that being said, You find a light protein carb mix an hour or so before your workout so that there is some energy in your blood to fuel what you're doing.

Lots of variables involved with this so it comes down to lifestyle and personal choices.

Cheers,

I have a piece of fruit or small glass of juice 20 minute before exercising and within 20 minutes of completing my routine I knock back a protein drink. I like Unjury Chocolate. Tastes like chocolate milk to me. I have it mixed and ready in my locker for when I'm done.

Ideally, you want a mix of carbs and protein at both times. The pre-workout snack should be mostly carbs and 1 to 2 hours before your workout. The carbs are then available for the muscles to use for anaerobic glycolysis and breakdown to pyruvate for use in fat burning. After exercise, you want a mix of carbs and protein within 30 minutes. The carbs then replace the lost muscle and liver glycogen stores for use during your normal activities and the protein is available for muscle repair and growth.

As for the chocolate milk, one of my professors was actually at the ACSM conference where that research was presented and brought it back to our school. We recreated the study in our lab and got the same results. Basically, the chocolate adds enough sugar to the milk to give you an added boost to your glycogen stores after exercise and the milk protein, specifically whey, is the most biologically available for muscle repair.

3 days per week I am at the gym for about an hour to an hour and a half. I am doing a combination of cardio and strength training.

What are the best type of foods to eat before and after workouts? What will help with energy and stamina and then recovery?

What types of foods should be avoided, if any?

Thanks!

I've found that the food I eat before I workout really doesn't matter. It's more important that I don't eat too much too close to training time and that there's plenty of WATER.

As for post-workout nutrition, there are a few different schools of thought. For those trying to cut fat (most here), some say don't eat anything after a workout. The idea being that the body will use energy to start recovering from the trauma of the workout. If you're eating on a deficit then the hope is that the energy used will be stored fat. However, this will hurt your chances for muscle development as the muscles won't have all the necesary resources to really become stronger as they repair themselves.

Another school of thought revolves around simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates cause a spike in blood sugar, which caused the body to react by producing insulin. Insulin is released to "usher" the sugar in the blood into the tissues of the body. The idea is that this insulin will help the muscles start to recover by taking all available nutrients in the blood and bringing them into the muscles. Unfortunately, insulin also brings nutrients into adipose tissue, aka body fat. A spike in insulin also causes the body to stop producing Human Growth Hormone, or HGH. Some counter the HGH argument by reminging us that natural HGH usually does most of it's work at night anyways, so a spike of insulin won't hurrt overall development.

I've made use of carbohydrates post-workout to use along with certain supplements I'm taking, the idea being that a spike in insulin will help the supplements to be absorbed into the muscles. If you do eat carbs post-workout, this would be a great time to take your multivitamin or any other pills or supplements you make use of.

Many believe that proteins are the ultimate post workout nutrition. A protein shake has been a post-workout staple for decades, so who am I to argue? It makes sense; Proteins are used by the muscles to repair themselves.

Personally, when I'm trying to build muscle, I just eat a good amount of clean food after a workout. Sometimes it has more carbs, sometimes proteins. While cutting fat, I either have a small protein shake or nothing.